PET/CT scanner instrumentation, challenges, and solutions

Radiol Clin North Am. 2004 Nov;42(6):1017-32, vii. doi: 10.1016/j.rcl.2004.08.001.

Abstract

PET/CT scanners offer a hardware solution for aligning and viewing functional and anatomic images that is immune to many of the errors in strictly software registration techniques. Moreover, PET attenuation-corrected emission scans benefit from the use of the onboard CT for fast, low-noise attenuation correction. Along with the significant improved localization and reduced acquisition time, PET/CT scanners also introduce new instrumentation challenges ranging from patient movement to quantitative attenuation correction. This article provides an overview of current PET/CT scanner technology, a discussion of challenges faced by these systems, and pending solutions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Image Enhancement / instrumentation
  • Image Enhancement / methods
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / instrumentation
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods
  • Positron-Emission Tomography / instrumentation*
  • Tomography Scanners, X-Ray Computed*